Turbulent Times Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Crisis at Moonlit Pass

As the four were just beginning their journey to Tang, Yue Ming Pass was facing a critical moment of life and death.

Since the initial large-scale assault by the Qin army at the start of the war, their attacks had seemed to lose momentum. Every three days or so, they would attempt to storm the city, but each assault was paltry compared to the first, almost laughable in scale.

After so many days of skirmishing, Huo Qing had more or less discerned Bai Qi's methods of attack. The regular three-day assaults involved only about ten thousand Qin soldiers each time, executed methodically, with no recklessness or desperation—completely unlike Bai Qi’s usual style.

Though harboring doubts, Huo Qing could not afford to let his guard down even once against the Qin. The results, however, were remarkable: thanks to his exquisite tactics and the strategic advantage of holding Yue Ming Pass, the casualties were five to one in his favor. In just a week or two, the Qin had lost at least another ten thousand ordinary soldiers.

Yet, what would have been considered an excellent outcome in ordinary times left Huo Qing restless. He could not believe Bai Qi would resort to dragging things out as his strategy, yet the devastating loss inflicted on the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in the first battle meant Huo Qing dared not sally forth for a counterattack.

Gazing at the war reports before him, Huo Qing’s mind raced, trying to fathom Bai Qi’s intentions, but found nothing.

Helpless, he looked up and asked his adjutant, “What’s the situation today?”

“General, the Qin army did not attack the city today.”

“What? How is that possible? Are you certain there were no signs of an assault?” Huo Qing’s eyes widened.

The adjutant shook his head. “General, perhaps the Qin have realized these attacks are futile and simply gave up. It’s not impossible.”

Huo Qing replied firmly, “If Bai Qi were to give up for lack of results, he would have done so long ago—not now. Pass down my orders: no one is to relax their vigilance today. Have the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry stand ready. The Qin are likely plotting something big.”

“Yes, General.” The adjutant was about to convey the orders when a soldier suddenly burst in.

In a panic, he reported, “Bad news, General! A large contingent of Qin troops has suddenly appeared behind us. We’re completely surrounded!”

“What? Explain yourself—how could they get behind us when Yue Ming Pass has not fallen?” Huo Qing’s expression grew grave.

The soldier, startled by his general’s shout, calmed himself slightly and said, “This morning, our supply convoy was supposed to transport provisions from Linjiang City at the rear, as delivered by General Cao. But the team noticed something odd about the city’s garrison and did not enter, instead asking the supplies be sent out to them. Suddenly, countless soldiers burst out from Linjiang, clad in Qin armor. We fled for our lives—ran as hard as we could. In the end, I was the only one to make it back. The Qin are now at the gates.”

After briefly comforting the shaken soldier, Huo Qing, with his adjutant in tow, hurried to the southern wall.

Upon arrival, he saw a fully armed army neatly arrayed beneath the ramparts. In an instant, Huo Qing recognized this ten-thousand-strong force as the Qin iron cavalry that had slaughtered half his Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in that fateful battle, but reason suppressed his fury.

Behind Yue Ming Pass lay two ordinary cities: Linjiang and Beihe, both under Cao Cao’s control. The three cities had long formed a mutual support network, with Yue Ming Pass as the first line of defense, and Linjiang and Beihe as logistical strongholds. Any enemy trying to bypass the Pass and seize the rear would be crushed by the combined forces of the three. Thus, it was virtually impossible for two cities to fall without the Pass being alerted—this was a key reason for Yue Ming Pass’s enduring strength.

But now, with Linjiang suddenly lost and not a whisper of warning reaching Yue Ming Pass, it was as if Linjiang had vanished overnight. A chilling possibility dawned on Huo Qing—one he dared not believe.

He abruptly turned to his adjutant and asked, “Who was responsible for communicating news from Linjiang and Beihe?”

The adjutant hesitated before replying, “General Lin Xuan.”

“Lin Xuan had a thousand of the Vanguard Battalion with him. There’s no way the city should have fallen so quickly. It seems I was right,” Huo Qing said heavily.

“You mean General Cao has betrayed us?” the adjutant gasped in disbelief.

Huo Qing nodded, though he could scarcely bring himself to believe that the ambitious Cao Cao would ever side with Qin. Yet all the evidence pointed squarely to the worst-case scenario.

“In that case, Beihe is lost as well,” Huo Qing guessed bitterly. With the situation laid bare before him, he finally understood Bai Qi’s strange behavior: first, a sudden, all-out assault to cripple the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and keep him too tense to risk a sortie; then a period of feints and lulls, lulling him into complacency while Qin forces slipped into the rear. But most crushing was Cao Cao’s betrayal, which left Huo Qing isolated and surrounded.

“Bai Qi is truly a master of calculation. We’ve been dancing in the palm of his hand all along.” Huo Qing could only sigh in resignation.

Below the walls, Zhu Long, seeing Huo Qing appear atop the ramparts, summoned his martial energy and shouted up, “General Huo! Both Linjiang and Beihe are now ours. If you know what’s good for you, surrender immediately. You’ll spare your men needless losses. Otherwise, when our forces attack from all sides, there will be no opportunities left.”

Huo Qing stared grimly down at the Qin.

The surrounding soldiers fell silent as well. This was, without doubt, the gravest crisis Yue Ming Pass had faced since its construction: the indifference and isolation from the imperial court, the inexplicable betrayal by Cao Cao in the rear, and the tens of thousands of Qin soldiers poised before them. It seemed all hope was lost.

And yet, the soldiers did not give way to despair or surrender, for they knew their general had not given up. As long as he stood with them, victory was still possible.

Over the past month of stalemate, the troops had already tasted despair and even considered giving up. But Huo Qing had always been there to encourage them, both in spirit and in substance. Through dozens of battles, large and small, he had never left the front lines. He suffered the most, toiled the hardest; his relentless dedication and selflessness had rebuilt their shaken morale from the ground up.

So for this battle, as long as Huo Qing did not retreat, neither would they. So long as he stood, they would never stoop to mere survival.

At this moment, every soldier at Yue Ming Pass was awaiting Huo Qing’s decision. The moment he pointed his sword, they would follow him to the death, without hesitation.

But Huo Qing made a choice no one could have predicted.

With martial energy amplifying his voice, he spoke heavily: “We choose to surrender. I, Huo Qing, am willing to lead all the defenders of Yue Ming Pass to join the Qin. At dawn tomorrow, I will open the gates and welcome the Qin army into the city. But only if Bai Qi himself accepts our surrender—for only he can convince me to yield.”

His words stunned everyone. The defenders, steeled for a last stand, had never imagined Huo Qing would capitulate. Even Zhu Long, who had only made the offer out of formality and expected a furious rejection before launching a full assault, was thrown off by Huo Qing’s surrender.

Huo Qing, having spoken, turned and left the wall, offering neither explanation nor comfort, leaving behind only shocked defenders and Qin soldiers.

“General, I don’t understand—why surrender?” The adjutant, along with many officers, confronted Huo Qing outside the command post.

Huo Qing surveyed the comrades who had fought by his side for years and gravely asked, “How much chance do you think we have of winning? We face an enemy ten times our size, our supply lines are cut entirely—how can we possibly fight on?”

The officers lowered their heads, all but the adjutant, who pressed on, “We can’t win, but Han cannot lose. If we surrender outright, what becomes of the millions of Han civilians behind us? If their Iron Wall falls without a fight, if their invincible God of War Huo Qing surrenders, what hope have they left? My family, and those of so many brothers, are still in Han—I can’t watch the Qin sweep in unopposed. If I must die, I’ll die on the battlefield.”

“Yes, we’ll die on the battlefield!” the soldiers echoed.

“I can’t let my daughter think her father is a coward.”

“My mother has always been proud of me; I won’t surrender.”

“I want to protect my family, my country.”

On and on, under the adjutant’s lead, the soldiers voiced their resolve, their willingness to die rather than surrender.

“Silence,” Huo Qing commanded. The commotion ceased.

He stood and spoke slowly, “Do you think I truly wish to surrender? But if we rush out now and fight the Qin to the death, what does it change? They will still march over our corpses and invade our land.” As silence and gravity settled over the men, Huo Qing continued, “If we must die, let’s at least take the biggest possible piece from the Qin.”

“General, what do you mean?”

“Tomorrow, follow my command in all things.”

Meanwhile, in the Qin camp, a heated debate was underway.

“I think Huo Qing’s surrender is a ruse. We cannot trust it,” declared Ying Zheng, commander of the First Qin Cavalry and second son of the Qin Emperor.

“But they are trapped with no hope of victory. No matter how capable Huo Qing is, he can’t change the outcome now. Better to surrender than die for nothing, is it not?” Bai Qi’s advisor speculated.

Bai Qi, for his part, stared silently at the table. Only when the argument had subsided did he look up at Zhu Long, who had brought back the news. “Commander Zhu, what do you think Huo Qing is planning?”

Caught off guard, Zhu Long nevertheless answered, “From what I know of Huo Qing, he would never betray Han. If we march into the city tomorrow, there will certainly be an ambush.”

Bai Qi nodded, smiling. “Indeed. Huo Qing means to gamble everything.”

“General, should we attack tonight instead?” the strategist suggested.

“No. Since he wants to gamble, I’ll join him. Tomorrow, everything proceeds as usual—we go to accept Huo Qing’s surrender.” Bai Qi’s confidence was unshakable.

The officers, seeing the general’s mind was made up, knew there was no changing it. Only Zhu Long seemed lost in thought, not participating in further tactical discussion.

After the others had left, Bai Qi turned to a corner of the tent and said, “Tomorrow, stay at my side and enter the city with me.”

But no answer came from the darkness.